The 72nd PGA Merchandise Show has teed off, and Golfweek is bringing you inside the ropes and behind the scenes at the four-day event that annually jumpstarts the golf equipment year.
From the latest drivers, irons, putters and golf balls to clothing, footwear, electronics and accessories, it’s all on display.
David Dusek, our in-house equipment guru, is in Orlando this week and will report on interesting things he sees and learns during the show. Follow along to see what’s ahead in the world of equipment in 2025.
Organized by Reed Exhibitions and the PGA of America, the PGA Merchandise Show is the largest golf industry gathering in the world. Every year, it hosts PGA of America professionals, golf manufacturers, retail buyers and other people who work in the golf business. The show promotes new goods and services, highlights innovations and new ideas, and provides a place for networking.
Old friends chat while up-and-comers exchange contact information and get their resumes out to decision-makers. Educational seminars and training sessions for PGA of America professionals are also offered, as are several skill-development classes.
For many people who run or help operate golf pros shops and specialty stores, the PGA Merchandise Show is a place to see apparel, footwear and accessories that will fill the walls and aisles of their shops in the months ahead. General managers and club operators also come to the show to learn more about the products and services that they need to operate their venue. Things like trophies, lockers, ball washers, tee-time management systems and golf cart batteries all need to be researched and ordered, and the show is a great venue to see and compare things like that.
Anything you might see or use at your local course is probably being promoted, but the PGA Merchandise Show is a trade-only event and is not open to the general public.
The 2025 PGA Merchandise Show will start on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and run through Friday, Jan. 25.
On Tuesday, the PGA Show’s annual Demo Day will be held at the practice facility at Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Florida, about 15 miles west of Orlando. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the trade show portion of the gathering will take place at the Orange County Convention Center, a 7,000,000-square-foot facility that hosts more than 100 events annually.
The first PGA Show was held in the parking lot of the PGA National Golf Club in Dunedin, Florida, in 1954. Back then, it was designed to be a place where golf professionals — many of whom drove from clubs in the north to clubs in the south so they could teach in winter months — could see the latest clubs, apparel and accessories and buy things to fill their shops.
Over the years, the gathering grew and changed locations but always stayed in Florida. In 1975, it moved to Orlando and went indoors for the first time at the Disney Contemporary Resort. In 1982, after the PGA of America moved to PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the PGA Show was moved to the Miami Beach Convention Center, where it remained for three years. In 1985, the PGA of America moved the show to the newly-built Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, where it remains to this day.
According to the PGA of America, more than 31,000 people from 89 countries and all 50 U.S. states attended the 2024 PGA Merchandise Show, including representatives from more than 1,000 golf companies.
The 2020 PGA Merchandise Show was a success. According to the Orange County Convention Center, it attracted nearly 40,000 golf industry professionals from more than 80 countries. The venue claims that when you add up all money spent on exhibition space, rentals, hotel rooms, dinner and other related expenses, the 2020 PGA Show contributed more than $102 million in economic impact to the Central Florida region.
Two months after the show concluded, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The PGA Show was not held in 2021, and many companies withdrew from the 2022 show after a holiday-time surge of infections took place in December 2021 and January 2022.
In 2023, the PGA Merchandise Show roared back. With a surge in participation in golf, more than 30,000 people attended the event, and in 2024 drew approximately the same number of people. While the number of people attending Demo Day may not have reached pre-COVID levels, the first day of the trade show, Wednesday was noticeably busier than it had been in years.
For more than 20 years, Demo Day has given PGA of America hand golf industry professionals a chance to try the latest golf innovations at the 42-acre, circular range at Orange County National Golf Center. There are product education workshops, coaching workshops, club-fitting presentations and demonstrations by PGA Tour professionals and top coaches. It can be an excellent opportunity to meet industry leaders and talk before the trade show begins on Wednesday.
Demo Day is an optional event for brands that are participating in the trade show portion of the PGA Merchandise Show. While many brands choose to bring clubs, balls, shafts, electronics and other accessories to Demo Day, some brands opt not to participate for various reasons. Here is a list of some brands that are scheduled to take part in Demo Day 2025:
“Thankfully, as Golfweek equipment writer, I’m in a position to see and learn about new clubs several months ahead of the PGA Show and Demo Day, so when I go to Orlando, I am eager to get a feel for trends that might be coming in the second half of the season and talk with insiders about what’s hot. I love to speak with experts in the golf electronics world about things like launch monitors, distance-measuring devices (lasers and GPS), and shot-tracking systems. I love seeing new footwear and apparel and learning about how those categories can be treated as equipment for serious golfers.
“This year, I can’t wait to learn more about launch monitors that target recreational golfers, Bluetooth speakers, and accessories that are both affordable and functional.”
Golf Channel is scheduled to broadcast “Golf Today: Live from the PGA Show” from Demo Day on Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
Golfweek has all the details on the latest gear and equipment, but it’s always exciting to see what companies do to show off their things. Some companies opt for a conservative approach and hang clothes on racks or electronic items on tables, but over the years, a few have created unique displays and promotions.
With highs only expected to get into the 50s today, the flavor of this year’s PGA Show is a little different, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had.
Here’s what David Dusek has been up to so far on Tuesday.
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